Tag:

Environmental Hazard

Yonkers, NY
Police & Fire
3 Illegal Dumpers Caught Leaving Trash In Woods, Public Roads, Dumpsters In Yonkers: Police 3 Illegal Dumpers Caught Leaving Trash In Woods, Public Roads, Dumpsters In Yonkers: Police
3 Illegal Dumpers Caught Leaving Trash In Woods, Public Roads, Dumpsters In Yonkers: Police Police say three alleged illegal dumpers have been identified in Westchester County after a six-week probe, including two who were arrested, in a crackdown city officials are calling a warning to would-be offenders.  The arrests, part of a several-week-long investigation, were announced by the Yonkers Police Department on Thursday, Oct. 9. Police said the probe revealed repeated dumping at city parks and other public spaces.  One of the suspects, identified as Xhevahir Kalaja, was linked to more than ten separate dumping incidents in the wooded area of Scotti Park, where…

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by Ben Crnic
Poughkeepsie, NY
News
Harmful Algae Bloom Reported In Long Stretch Of Hudson River: Residents Warned to Avoid Contact Harmful Algae Bloom Reported In Long Stretch Of Hudson River: Residents Warned to Avoid Contact
Harmful Algae Bloom Reported In Long Stretch Of Hudson River: Residents Warned to Avoid Contact A long section of the Hudson River is experiencing a harmful algae bloom, prompting officials to warn residents to avoid contact with the toxins. According to a public notice issued this week by the Town of Poughkeepsie, the bloom stretches from the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge as far south as Garrison and West Point.  The bloom also appears to be affecting tidal portions of tributaries. Officials cautioned that HABs can produce dangerous toxins posing risks to people, pets, and wildlife through ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact. Reported symptoms of exposure include…

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by Ben Crnic
North Haven, CT
Police & Fire
Water Wreck Snarls I-91: Bottled-Water Truck Flips In North Haven, Driver Hurt Water Wreck Snarls I-91: Bottled-Water Truck Flips In North Haven, Driver Hurt
Water Wreck Snarls I-91: Bottled-Water Truck Flips In North Haven, Driver Hurt A tractor-trailer carrying 45,000 pounds of bottled water overturned on Interstate 91 in North Haven, sending the driver to the hospital and bringing traffic to a standstill across parts of the highway and nearby roads, authorities said.  North Haven firefighters posted photos from the Wednesday afternoon, July 9, wreck and said state troopers were diverting traffic on I-91 South between exits 12 and 13, as well as along Washington Avenue, where traffic was being redirected. The cleanup won’t be quick. Emergency crews say the truck can’t be moved until its heavy load is taken out first…

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by Josh Lanier
Yorktown, NY
News
'Significant Concerns': Battery Energy Storage Facilities Banned In Yorktown 'Significant Concerns': Battery Energy Storage Facilities Banned In Yorktown
'Significant Concerns': Battery Energy Storage Facilities Banned In Yorktown Citing fire risks and environmental hazards, a town in Westchester County has voted to ban new large-scale battery energy storage systems within its limits.  The Yorktown Town Board on Tuesday, May 20, approved a measure to prohibit the construction of new Tier 2 battery energy storage systems, citing concerns over fire safety, groundwater contamination, and the nascent nature of lithium-ion battery technology, officials said on Wednesday, May 28.  “Our priorities are our residents and the environment,” said Town Supervisor Ed Lachterman, who continued: "Given the early stage of …

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by Ben Crnic
Mount Vernon, NY
Lifestyle
We’ve Got To Ditch Single-Use Plastics We’ve Got To Ditch Single-Use Plastics
We’ve Got To Ditch Single-Use Plastics We’ve got to ditch single-use plastics. We have adopted a disposable lifestyle in which around 50% of plastic is used once and then thrown away. Today, single-use plastics present some of the biggest environmental hazards because plastic can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade. (A plastic water bottle takes 450 years.) And when plastic breaks down into microplastics, tiny 5mm particles, the dangers increase exponentially. When you discard plastics, they remain in landfills for decades. Contrary to popular belief, only 6% of plastic (actually) gets recycled. As plastics biodegrade, they can…

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by Camilla Calhoun
West Milford, NJ
Police & Fire
Tanker Hauling 7K Gallons Of Septic Waste Overturns In West Milford Tanker Hauling 7K Gallons Of Septic Waste Overturns In West Milford
Tanker Hauling 7K Gallons Of Septic Waste Overturns In West Milford A tanker truck hauling 7,000 gallons of septic waste overturned in a crash involving a car on Tuesday evening, April 8 in West Milford, officials said. The accident happened on Oak Ridge Road at Route 23, according to the West Milford Fire Marshal’s Office, which responded to the scene along with the West Milford Fire Department. The truck driver sustained minor injuries, officials said. Emergency crews worked to contain a small amount of septic waste, as well as oil and other vehicle fluids that spilled during the crash. The truck was later offloaded and uprighted, officials said. On…

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by Cecilia Levine
Great Falls, VA
Police & Fire
Gasoline From Tanker Truck Leaks Into Great Falls Stream; Smell May Linger, Officials Say Gasoline From Tanker Truck Leaks Into Great Falls Stream; Smell May Linger, Officials Say
Gasoline From Tanker Truck Leaks Into Great Falls Stream; Smell May Linger, Officials Say A HazMat emergency in Northern Virginia is causing road closures and environmental concerns after a tanker truck began leaking gasoline into Difficult Run in Great Falls, officials announced. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue units responded to the intersection of Leigh Mill Road and Kelso Road in Great Falls early Thursday morning, April 3, after reports of a hazardous materials incident involving a fuel spill. Crews confirmed that a tanker truck was actively leaking gasoline into Difficult Run — a well-known tributary that flows through several parks and residential areas in Fairfax County. …

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by Zak Failla
North Brunswick, NJ
Police & Fire
Elementary School Evacuated Due To Large Structure Fire In Franklin Township: Authorities Elementary School Evacuated Due To Large Structure Fire In Franklin Township: Authorities
Elementary School Evacuated Due To Large Structure Fire In Franklin Township: Authorities A massive structure fire in Gloucester County has resulted in the evacuation of an elementary school on Thursday, Jan. 23, authorities said. The fire is at the 600 block of Harding Highway in Franklin Township, Franklin Township Police Department said. Students are being relocated from Main Road School to Reutter School, police said. The Franklin Township school District will be putting out a message to parents shortly regarding the reunification process, police said. Harding Highway is closed from Main Road to Blue Bell Road, Gloucester County Emergency Management said. County ha…

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by Sam Barron
Egg Harbor Township, NJ
News
Jersey Shore Beach's Access Restricted As Erosion Exposes Century-Old Submerged Structure Jersey Shore Beach's Access Restricted As Erosion Exposes Century-Old Submerged Structure
Jersey Shore Beach's Access Restricted As Erosion Exposes Century-Old Submerged Structure An Atlantic County beach's access has been restricted after erosion exposed debris from a large structure about a century old, officials said. Access to Cove Beach is closed between Bay Court and Renaissance Cove because of "changing and unpredictable conditions," Brigantine's mayor said in a Facebook post on Thursday, Aug. 1. The city had previously put up signs warning beachgoers about submerged and hazardous conditions near the beach's erosion area. Changing tides and other erosion forces have revealed a large structure that was demolished and dumped in the water about 100 years ago. "W…

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by Chris Spiker
Amherst, MA
News
Algae Bloom Threatens Wildlife, Pets In Easthampton Pond Algae Bloom Threatens Wildlife, Pets In Easthampton Pond
Algae Bloom Threatens Wildlife, Pets In Easthampton Pond Officials in Hampshire County are telling residents to avoid the Rubber Thread Pond in Easthampton after a toxic algae bloom has taken over the water.  Easthampton leaders posted the warning on the city's Facebook page after tests showed possible signs of the toxic algae cyanobacteria.  The Massachusetts Department of Public Health will continue to conduct tests until the bloom has gone. Until then, residents should avoid swimming, fishing, or touching the water.  Contact with the infected water can cause skin irritation, gastrointestinal distress, liver or ne…

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by Josh Lanier
Ridgefield Park-Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
Police & Fire
HEROES: Firefighters Free Trapped Driver After Tractor-Trailer, Pickup Collide On Route 17 HEROES: Firefighters Free Trapped Driver After Tractor-Trailer, Pickup Collide On Route 17
Heroes: Firefighters Free Trapped Driver After Tractor-Trailer, Pickup Collide On Route 17 Firefighters extricated a heavily trapped driver after a tractor-trailer and pickup truck collided on Route 17. Hasbrouck Heights firefighters were assisted by their Wood-Ridge colleagues in freeing the female pickup driver following the crash behind the Bendix Diner shortly before 9:30 p.m. Sunday, March 17. The driver was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center. Nick’s Towing removed the vehicles. Northbound Route 17 was temporarily closed at Franklin Avenue during the operation. Mutual aid was provided by, among others, firefighters from Carlstadt, Lodi, Rutherford and Wallingto…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Bethlehem, PA
News
Head-On Norfolk Southern Crash Sends Locomotives Into Lehigh River (PHOTOS) Head-On Norfolk Southern Crash Sends Locomotives Into Lehigh River (PHOTOS)
Head-On Norfolk Southern Crash Sends Locomotives Into Lehigh River (Photos) Norfolk Southern trains were in a head-on collision, derailing three trains on Saturday morning — sending the two locomotives into the Lehigh River, authorities said.  The three trains derailed near Riverside Drive in Lower Saucon Township at 7:15 a.m. on March 2, officials explained.  Northampton County Executive Lamont G. McClure released the following statements about the crash: "There has been a train derailment in L. Saucon Twp. Preliminarily there are no evacuations, no injuries and no leaks. However, this can change. The best thing we can do to assist first responders…

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by Jillian Pikora
Paterson, NJ
Police & Fire
Mobile Crane Goes Up In Flames On Route 80, Fire Truck Involved In Crash Mobile Crane Goes Up In Flames On Route 80, Fire Truck Involved In Crash
Mobile Crane Goes Up In Flames On Route 80, Fire Truck Involved In Crash Flames destroyed a mobile crane Thursday afternoon off Route 80 in Totowa, while a Wayne fire truck headed to the scene was involved in a minor crash. The westbound highway just before Minnisink Road was closed as firefighters from Wayne and Totowa and members of the West Paterson Fire Department doused the flames, which spread to nearby brush, shortly before 3 p.m. People nearby reported hearing an explosion. A large hydraulic fuel spill required attention. A New Jersey State Police trooper required medical attention for a minor injury from tire debris, responders said. The driver…

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by Jerry DeMarco
New City, NY
Police & Fire
Fuel Tank Leak Causes Road Closure After Tractor-Trailer Crashes Off Rockland Roadway Fuel Tank Leak Causes Road Closure After Tractor-Trailer Crashes Off Rockland Roadway
Fuel Tank Leak Causes Road Closure After Tractor-Trailer Crashes Off Rockland Roadway A truck driver lost control of his tractor-trailer in Rockland County, crashing off-road and striking a rock, spilling hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel, and forcing a road closure for several hours in Blauvelt. Officers from the Orangetown Police Department received a report shortly before 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 14, when a Freightliner tractor-trailer heading west on Clausland Mountain Road went off-road, crashing onto private property. Police said that due to the collision, two 120 gallon diesel fuel tanks began to leak, along with other fluids from the engine of the tractor-trailer. …

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by Zak Failla
Bridgeport, CT
Police & Fire
Man Causes $12K In Damage After Spraying Toxic Chemicals On Neighbor's Yard, Westport PD Says Man Causes $12K In Damage After Spraying Toxic Chemicals On Neighbor's Yard, Westport PD Says
Man Causes $12K In Damage After Spraying Toxic Chemicals On Neighbor's Yard, Westport PD Says A man caused more than $12,000 in damages after he sprayed a “toxic” chemical all over a neighbor’s vegetable garden and backyard, police said. Officers from the Westport Police Department were dispatched to a local home at approximately 10 p.m. on July 13, when a homeowner reported that chemicals had been sprayed in her backyard from over her property fence line. Police said that the resident arrived home and smelled a strong odor of a chemical on her property. Further investigation found an oily film that was on her garden plants and her vegetable garden plants. Additionally, two pieces o…

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by Zak Failla